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Key Attractions Golden Gate Bridge The beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, which connects ‘Frisco’ to Marin County, is not gold, of course, but a vivid orange that stands out even through the frequent thick fogs. Spanning nearly three kilometres (two miles), the bridge is one of the wonders of the modern world and one of five bridges that span the Bay. The best views of the Golden Gate Bridge are from Fort Point in the Presidio (Long Avenue and Marine Drive) and Visa Point, on the Marin side at the north end of the bridge. A walk or, at least, a drive across the bridge is essential (walking takes approximately half an hour and walkers should dress warmly). The two pivotal cables contain enough steel wire to encircle the equator three times, while the concrete alone would provide enough material for a pavement from San Francisco to New York. Highway 101 (Lincoln Boulevard) Tel: (415) 921 5858. Fax: (415) 457 2892. Website: www.goldengatebridge.org Transport: Bus 28. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours (roadway and bicycle access); daily 0500-2100 (pedestrian east sidewalk). Admission: Free; US$3 southbound-only toll for cars. Golden Gate Park The 411.5 hectares (1017 acres) of Golden Gate Park encompass meadows, lakes, myriad gardens, an open-air music concourse, a children’s playground and vintage carousel, a buffalo paddock and the tallest artificial waterfall in the West. The park is home to the California Academy of Sciences (including the Natural History Museum, the Morrison Planetarium and the Steinhart Aquarium) and fronts on to Ocean Beach, which affords spectacular sunset views. Some 7000 plant species flourish in the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, while the must-see Japanese Tea Garden is an absolute haven. The Presidio, the land and buildings surrounding the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, was formerly one of the oldest military installations in the country and now houses a forest, a Civil War brick fortress and a museum. Golden Gate Park Tel: (415) 831 2700 Fax: (415) 221 8034. Website: www.parks.sfgov.org Transport: Bus 5, 21, 28, 29, 43, 44, 71 or 82X; N-Judah Streetcar. Japanese Tea Garden One Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive Tel: (415) 752 1171. Opening hours: Daily 0830-1730 (garden); daily 1000-1715 (tea house). Admission: US$3.50. California Academy of Sciences 55 Concourse Drive Tel: (415) 750 7145 or 7375 (weekend) or 7127 (planetarium). Website: www.calacademy.org Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (summer); daily 1000-1700 (winter). Admission: US$8.50 (Natural History Musuem and Steinhart Aquarium); US$2.50 (Morrison Planetarium); free first Wed of month. Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way Tel: (415) 661 1316. Fax: (415) 661 7427. Website: www.strybing.org Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1630; Sat-Sun 1000-1700. Admission: Free; donations welcome. Presidio Building 201, Fort Mason Tel: (415) 561 4823. Website: www.nps.gov/prsf/home.htm Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (visitor centre) Admission: Free. Alcatraz Looming menacingly in the Bay, near Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz – known simply as ‘The Rock’ – was the site of the USA’s toughest maximum-security prison, from 1934 until 1963. Al Capone lodged there, as did birdman Robert Stroud, although his infamy is based more on Hollywood legend than fact – he never did keep birds here. Alcatraz, which imprisoned convicts as much with the Bay estuary’s lethal currents as with manmade bars, opened to a curious public in 1973. Now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, its on-island activities include trail walks, audio cassette tours narrated by former inmates and guards and ranger-led tours. The frustration of being able to witness the natural beauty and bright lights of the Bay communities from just a mile away, which must have been felt by many an inmate, is palpable. Alcatraz Island was also the site of the first lighthouse built on the Pacific Coast. Visitors are advised to book early and wear warm clothes. Alcatraz Island Tel: (415) 705 5555 or (800) 426 8687 (advance tickets) or (415) 773 1188 (24-hour transport and general information). Website: www.nps.gov/alcatraz Transport: Blue and Gold Ferries from Piers 39 and 41. Opening hours: Departures daily 0930-1830 (summer), 0930-1630 (all other seasons). Admission: US$9; US$12.25 including audiocassette rental. Fisherman’s Wharf In the daytime, visitors throng the sidewalks and piers of Fisherman’s Wharf – a centre for tacky souvenirs, Bay-view restaurants, shops, attractions and the spectacle of some 400 resident sea lions crowded onto pontoons to sunbathe. But in the early hours of the morning, from dawn until 0900, the ambitious visitor can get quite another view – that of a busy fish distribution centre sending out seafood both locally and further afield. Dylan Thomas once waxed lyrical to his wife, Caitlin, about the quality of the lobsters, clams and crabs here and small wonder – oysters, chowder, crab and shrimp cocktail are sold in disposable cartons on the wharf, for eating while strolling. Pier 39 (website: www.pier39.com), where Beach Street meets The Embarcadero, is actually one of 29 curiously numbered piers on the waterfront and is now the city’s biggest attraction. Not only is it home to the sea lions but also many other attractions, such as the impressive aquarium, Underwater World, where moving sidewalks are surrounded on three sides by water. Sightseeing boats leave from Pier 39 and the neighbouring Pier 41. The Bay views are sublime. The Cannery houses 30 speciality shops, while Ghirardelli Square, former chocolate factory turned chic shopping centre, can also be approached from the wharf. Hyde Street Pier, which displays historic ships – including the Eureka, an 1890 paddlewheeler, the schooner C.A. Thayer, and number of others – and the Art Deco National Maritime Museum, show how life in the city, a century ago, was much more entwined with the marine industry. The Embarcadero Tel: (415) 391 2000. Fax (617) 960 9216. Website: www.sfvisitor.org or www.fishermanswharf.com Transport: Bay Street or Beach Street MUNI station; Powell-Mason cable car; streetcar F-line. Underwater World Pier 39 Tel: (415) 623 5300 or (888) 732 3483. Website: www.aquariumofthebay.com Opening hours: Daily 0900-2000 (summer); Mon-Fri 1000-1800, Sat-Sun 1000-1900 (winter). Admission: US$12.95. National Maritime Museum Beach Street and Polk Street Tel: (415) 556 3002. Website: www.maritime.org Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700. Admission: Free. The Cannery Jefferson Street and Leavenworth Street Tel: (415) 771 3112. Fax: (415) 771 2424. E-mail: info@thecannery.com Website: www.thecannery.com Opening hours: Shops open Mon-Sat 1000, Sun 1100; restaurants open daily 1130; closing hours vary. Admission: Free. Ghirardelli Square 900 North Point Street Tel: (415) 775 5500. Fax: (415) 775 0912. E-mail: ghsqmail@aol.com Website: www.ghirardellisq.com Opening hours: Shops open Mon-Sun 1000-2100, Sun 1000-1800 (10 Jun-2 Sep); Mon-Thurs 1000-1900, Fri-Sat 1000-2000, Sun 1100-1800 (3 Sep-9 Jun); restaurants usually open until 2300. Admission: Free. Hyde Street Pier Hyde Street and Jefferson Street Tel. (415) 556 3002 or 0859 or 561 7100. Website: www.maritime.org Opening hours: Daily 0930-1730. Admission: US$6. Cable Cars One of San Francisco’s principal attractions is its network of century-old cable cars, America’s only mobile National Historic Landmark. The system was opened in 1873, when Andrew Hallidie guided the first car down Clay Street, near Portsmouth Square, to replace horse-drawn streetcars. It was refurbished in the 1980s. The ride and the views can best be enjoyed standing on one of the outside platforms but travellers should hold on tight and watch out for traffic. The cars operate along three routes – the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines, beginning at Powell Street and Market Street, run roughly north–south between Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square. The California Street line runs east–west from California Street and Market Street, near the Embarcadero to Van Ness Avenue. The cars are turned by hand on turntables at the end of the line – all part of the experience. A visit to the Cable Car Museum completes the experience. Here, located in the city’s only remaining cable car barn and powerhouse, visitors can view the cable-winding machinery as it reels 17km (11 miles) of steel at a steady pace of 15km (9.5 miles) per hour. The mechanism is much more interesting than one might think and a video, historical memorabilia and gift shop make the museum a compelling stop. Powell Street, Market Street and California Street Website: www.sfcablecar.com Transport: Cable cars pass MUNI and bus lines, as well as BART stations. Operating hours: Mon-Fri 0600-0100. Admission: US$2 per ride. Cable Car Museum 1201 Mason Street, at Washington Street, Nob Hill Tel: (415) 474 1887. Fax: (415) 929 7546. Website: www.cablecarmuseum.com Transport: Chinatown MUNI station. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Apr-Oct); daily 1000-1700 (Oct-Mar). Admission: Free. Cartoon Art Museum The Cartoon Art Museum, the only one of its kind on the West Coast, displays rotating exhibitions of art, from underground cartoons to popular comic books and animation. An enormous permanent collection and a CD-Rom gallery explore every facet of cartoon art. 655 Mission Street, South of Market Tel: (415) 227 8666. Fax: (415) 243 8666. Website: www.cartoonart.org Transport: Montgomery Street BART or MUNI F Line. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1100-1700. Admission: US$5; concessions available. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, opened in 1995, to great acclaim. Its permanent collection is particularly strong in American 20th-century sculpture, painting, photography – including works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollack, and Georgia O’Keeffe – and mulimedia installations. 151 Third Street, South of Market Tel: (415) 357 4000. Website: www.sfmoma.org Transport: Montgomery Street BART or MUNI F Line. Opening hours: Fri-Tues 1100-1800; Thurs 1100-2100 (Labor Day to Memorial Day – Sep-Jun). Fri-Tues 1000-1800; Thurs 1000-2100 (Memorial Day to Labor Day – Jun-Sep). Admission: US$9; concessions available. |
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